Rack ovens are generally equipped with a fuel-fed heating element and a fan for moving heated air throughout a baking chamber to provide a rapid distribution of hot air over the food product. Commercial ovens of this type include a baking chamber, which is sized to receive a rack having multiple shelves containing products to be baked; a power driven, rotating rack carrier to rotate the product as it is being cooked or baked; a heat exchanger such as one or more gas burners and an exhaust system to eliminate combustion gases or an electrical heating element; and a circulating system for directing hot air along a heated air flow path that passes through the baking chamber. Conventional rack ovens of the type for baking bread also generally include a steam generator for the introduction of steam into the oven for brief periods of time, usually at the beginning of the baking process, to impart a desired appearance to the baked food product.
Various types of food product racks exist in the industry. Improvements are regularly sought for a variety of reasons, including cost, ease of manufacture and reliability.